Mevani says 'unfortunate' as police denies rally, water cannons deployed

New Delhi: Around 2,000 security personnel, including the paramilitary forces, have been deployed in the national capital in view of the 'Yuva Hunkaar' rally
spearheaded by Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani.

The Vadgam MLA who was expected to hold the rally at 12 noon on Tuesday at Parliament Street even as the Delhi Police maintained that no permission had been granted for the same.

"Unfortunate. We were just going to demonstrate democratically and peacefully, the government is targeting us, an elected representative is not being allowed to speak: Jignesh Mewani on being denied permission for Yuva Hunkar rally in Delhi

A senior officer from New Delhi district told PTI that additional forces from other districts of the city have been called in.

The Parliament Street has been fortified and water cannon vehicles have been deployed, he said.

Unhindered, the organisers are making all arrangements for the rally.

"Nobody has been given a permission. Since there is an NGT order that no protest can be staged at Jantar Mantar, we have asked organisers to hold the protest at alternate sites like Ramlila Maidan," Joint CP of New Delhi Ajay Chaudhary said. 

On Monday, the city police had said that no permission was given to organise the protest in the city, citing orders of National Green Tribunal (NGT).

Swaraj India leader Prashant Bhushan, however, said in a tweet, "Please don't mislead people @DCPNewDelhi. NGT orders are for Jantar Mantar, not Parliament St. SC has always held right to peaceful protest meetings is a fundamental right. Any attempt by police to stop the #YuvaRally tomorrow will be
undemocratic & violation of fundamental rights".

The NGT on October 5, 2017 had ordered officials to "immediately stop all activities of dharna, protest, agitations, assembling of people, public speeches and using of loudspeakers among others at the Jantar Mantar Road."

One of the organisers and former JNU Students' Union president Mohit Kumar Pandey said, "There has been a lot of attempts to stop this event and even some media houses are spreading wrong information that the permission for the rally has been denied."

Ever since the rally was announced on January 2, "a lot of money has been spent on posters calling Mevani a deshdrohi (traitor) and urban naxal," Pandey said, adding the event will be held as per schedule.

Mevani could not be reached for his comments.

In a statement, the organisers have urged the prospective participants to "assemble on the Parliament Street at 12 pm on tomorrow (Tuesday)".

The rally seeks to raise the demand for the release of Dalit outfit Bhim Army's founder Chandrashekhar Azad and emphasis on issues like educational rights, employment, livelihood and gender justice.

A large section of students from universities and colleges in Delhi, women's groups, teachers' associations and activists associated with Mevani from across the country are expected to attend the rally.

Azad, 30, was arrested in June last year from Himachal Pradesh as he was the main accused in the Thakur-Dalit clash in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district.